UCAS figures show that leading universities are growing quicker than
lower-ranking institutions this year following major Coalition reforms to
the higher education system

Britain’s leading universities are expanding at a faster rate than their rivals after a record surge in demand for degree courses this year, particularly from mainland Europe, it emerged today.

Figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show sought-after institutions are reaping the most benefit from a sharp rise in student numbers in 2014.

It was revealed that the number of undergraduates admitted to selective universities had increased by four per cent this year compared with just one per cent for those institutions with the lowest entry requirements.

It also emerged that 17 out of 24 Russell Group universities were still advertising places through the clearing system on Friday afternoon – more than 24 hours after the publication of A-level results.

In all, just over 3,000 courses were available, making up a significant proportion of the 32,000 remaining on the UCAS website.

The disclosure suggests leading universities are taking the greatest advantage of government reforms designed to give universities more powers to recruit in 2014. This includes admitting unlimited numbers of students with good A-levels – at least an A and two Bs – and an extra 30,000 sixth-formers with lower grades.

Southampton and Sheffield have already admitted that they are taking on more students with grades lower than ABB following the creation of extra places.

Vice-chancellors said there was also more “flexibility” to take in students who narrowly miss their offer.

A-level results published on Thursday showed a rise in the number of students gaining elite A*s but a drop at every other grade – from A to E – and the first decline in the overall pass rate for three decades.

Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said many leading institutions would be looking to expand, particularly in arts and humanities courses where extra students are more easily accommodated.

He added: “A-level results have dropped a bit – beyond the A* – so I don’t think universities will be pressing students' actual conditional offer to its limit. They may well be saying, ‘you have dropped a grade below your offer, but that’s still okay’.

“However, universities’ reputations are at stake here. There’s a limit to the number of students with the lower grades they will be willing to accept.”

Updated figures from UCAS showed 412,170 people were accepted on to degree courses by Friday morning. It was up three per cent compared with a year earlier.

This included 320 students who had “traded up” to a better courses after exceeding their predicted A-level grades, an increase of five per cent on last year.

UCAS said “higher tariff” universities had seen a four per cent rise in acceptances, with numbers increasing by 4,430 to 124,150 in a year. Medium tariff institutions grew up three per cent and lower tariff by one per cent.

Mainland Europe has provided a significant source of expansion for top universities, it emerged. The number of students from EU member states at these institutions was up by 13 per cent – 1,080 – this year, with 9,300 admitted by Friday.

Figures also showed a further 80,030 people were still waiting to have university place confirmed a day after A-level results were published, while 162,430 are competing for places in clearing. The potential number of clearing students is up by six per cent in a year.